Trends At SIAT 2024

ARAI organised the 18th SIAT 2024. Deven Lad and Prajakta Chavan highlight the progressive mobility developments.

- Deven Lad and Prajakta Chavan

The apex Research and Development (R&D) organisation, the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) organised the 18th edition of its flagship biennial symposium at the Pune International Exhibition and Convention Centre (PIECC) in Moshi. Moving out of the Oxford Golf course venue, over 1500 automobile technocrats descended at the new venue for the symposium. There were 48 technical meetings, eight of which were held in parallel to give a sense of scale, wherein technical experts from nine nations showcased their research findings. Furthermore, a panel discussion and three plenary sessions centred around the theme of SIAT 2024 were held.

The first day of SIAT 2024 set the tone through ceremonial inaugurations and thought-provoking talks by Dr Mahendra Nath Pandey, Minister of Heavy Industries (MHI), and Guest of Honour Dr Hanif Qureshi, Additional Secretary, MHI, among other heavyweights. In a testimony to collaboration being the way forward for the stakeholders, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed with Cenex on defining shared technical standards to ease the trade of zero-emission transportation systems. The changing automotive sector will need trained manpower, opined Dr Pandey, while he was addressing (virtually) the inaugural session. Dr Pandey unveiled new facilities and presided over the ceremonial laying of the foundation stone for upgraded labs.